PwC achieves five star rating
PwC has issued an announcement to inform that:
PwC achieves five star rating in Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index – the only professional services firm to do so.
Professional services firm PwC has achieved the highest possible rating in Business in the Community’s (BITC) annual benchmark of responsible business, the Corporate Responsibility Index (CR Index).
PwC is one of only six companies, and the only professional services firm, to have been awarded the full five stars, reflecting its commitment to responsible business issues as well as its ongoing and transparent approach to key environmental and social impact areas.
Since its launch in 2002, the CR Index has become the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of responsible business practices. It assesses all aspects in relation to community, environment, marketplace and workplace issues.
Gaenor Bagley, executive board member and head of people, community and sustainability at PwC, said:
“Achieving a five star rating in the CR Index epitomises our approach to being a responsible business. It’s a great reflection of the many programmes we’ve established, and recognition for our people who worked so hard to make this happen.”
Highlights from PwC’s submission include work to progress natural capital accounting, to establish new standards in green buildings, the creation of a collaborative partnership to tackle homelessness through a social enterprise restaurant, as well as extensive internal programmes to embed a culture that is open-minded, contributes generously to the communities in which it operates. It has also rolled out training which helps to embed sustainability into client engagements.
Bridget Jackson, director of corporate sustainability at PwC, said:
“BITC has recognised our sustainability training, in particular, as best practice. It reflects the growing interest we’ve seen among our clients to do something similar.”
The results demonstrate a commitment to pioneering new levels of transparency and higher standards. For example, PwC has driven a ‘progressive employer’ programme for many years, designing and implementing an award-winning training course to encourage open-mindedness across its workforce, and publishing diversity targets and reporting transparently against them since 2013. It’s also the first professional services firm to report on its gender pay gap and is one of only five organisations that voluntarily do so in the UK.
PwC also set new standards in green buildings, opening the first ever BREEAM ‘outstanding’ rated new-build office at More London, Southwark in 2011, and then applying the lessons learned to a retrofit of its Embankment offices, achieving the highest-ever BREEAM rating at the time, and proving it’s possible to refurbish old buildings for both sustainability and to create exceptional working places.
Moreover, PwC has taken community investment way beyond the usual. It’s triple sector partnership with charity Beyond Food, De Vere Venues, the Big Issue Invest and the Homes and Communities Agency to create and underwrite a social enterprise restaurant, has just celebrated its third birthday. A social return on investment analysis shows that not only has it helped 650 people previously homeless or at risk of homelessness back into employment, but for every £1 invested, the collaboration has generated £1.57 in value to society.
This result follows on from PwC being named as the 2014/15 ‘Large Company of the Year’ by Scottish Business in the Community.
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive of Business in the Community, said:
“PwC has driven tangible results on a wide range of programmes that showcase best practice in stakeholder engagement and a high degree of innovation.”
Source: PWC
